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Native
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Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
4.9 (1120)

Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder

Turn your recordings into records.

Get this plus all UAD Native plug-ins with UAD Spark. Start your free trial.
  • Mix and master your music with the most popular professional 2-track tape machine ever made
  • Get classic Ampex tape saturation, selectable tape types, and color to "glue" your mix together
  • Use the entire ATR-102 circuit, including its transformers, amplifiers, Repro, Sync, and Input paths
  • Make adjustments to Repro/Record levels while maintaining perfect gain staging
  • Enjoy enhanced retina GUI with interactive tape reels and controls true to the original hardware
  • Use the ATR-102 LUNA Extension to produce with rich, analog tape sound right in LUNA’s mixer

Runs natively on your macOS or Windows computer, or accelerated on Apollo audio interfaces or UAD Accelerators. View full system requirements.

Hear It In Action

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Hear It In Action

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Turn Your Recordings into Records

The Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug-in and LUNA Extension provides the final “analog glue” for your music. Fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation, now you can get the same unique dynamics, frequency response, and saturation characteristics of the original mastering hardware, virtually indistinguishable from its analog ancestor.

New Features for Modern Workflows

Getting perfect gain staging on the Ampex ATR-102 requires meticulous calibration of the repro and record levels, a delicate art that demands precision. With Auto-Gain, you can make adjustments to either the Repro or Record levels while maintaining perfect gain staging. And with its retina-enhanced GUI, the ATR-102 is that beautifully vibey plug-in that you’ll want to leave on all the time.

Take a Deep Dive into Tape Tone

Discover vast reel-to-reel textures using three classic tape heads (¼”, ½”, and 1”) tape speeds and emphasis EQs, famous tape formulas (GP9, 456, 900, 250), and more. You can even fine-tune the machine’s calibration to open up some headroom, or get grittier tape compression and saturation.

Find Your Sound Fast

Ignite your inspiration with presets from longtime ATR‑102 users Chuck Ainlay (Chris Botti, Mark Knopfler) Richard Dodd (Wilco, Robert Plant), Buddy Miller (Martina McBride, Emmylou Harris), Mike Poole (Keith Urban, Dolly Parton) and more. Use these presets as a starting point and season to taste on your mixes — you'll marvel at the cohesive, rich sound that can only come from an Ampex tape machine.

Transform Your Mixes in LUNA

Use the Ampex ATR‑102 LUNA Extension to transform LUNA’s mixer into an analog tape wonderland. Without having to manage separate plug-in windows, this gives you rich album‑ready Ampex tape textures with all the authentic dynamics, frequency response, and saturation of the original machine.

What They Say

The most useful aspect of the UAD ATR-102 plug-in is being able to treat the 'tape path' in ways that the original couldn't be considered because of tape noise. I can now achieve and recall effects [previously impossible].

Richard Dodd

Tom Petty, George Harrison, Dixie Chicks

I set the UAD ATR-102 exactly the way my old Ampex machine is set up, dialed in the gains, switched back and forth… and the sound is nearly identical.

Jacquire King

Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Cold War Kids

I find few things I can't make sound MUCH better with the Ampex ATR-102 plug-in. It really makes individual elements of the mix take on a more distinct presence.

Stephen Smith

Serious Clark, Showteens, Spirit and the Bride

Related Articles

How a Workhorse Tape Machine Plug-in Preset Came to Be

Learn how ace engineer Richard Dodd (George Harrison, Tom Petty) created this warm, understated preset for the wildly popular UAD Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug-in.

UAD Spotlight: How to Mix Huge Rock Guitars

In the second installment of his UAD Spotlight rock mixing masterclass, join Universal Audio’s Drew Mazurek as he gives you a step-by-step overview of his guitar processing chain.

Tracking Robert Ellis with Apollo & UAD Plug‑Ins

In this Producer's Corner, Jacquire King (Of Monsters and Men, Norah Jones, Modest Mouse) shows how he used the Apollo interface and UAD plug-ins to track Robert Ellis' band on a live rendition of the track, "Good Intentions."

Analog Tape Recording Basics

These days, owning an analog tape machine is somewhat akin to driving a classic car, with ongoing maintenance, scarcity of parts, and exotic fuel (analog tape) that's expensive and hard to find. So while a handful of top studios still offer those classic spinning reels (and the engineers to maintain them), the good news for the rest of us is that there are now more convenient ways to achieve that classic magnetic sound.

Reviews

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 1,120 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 1k Total 4 star reviews: 51 Total 3 star reviews: 18 Total 2 star reviews: 8 Total 1 star reviews: 10
97%would recommend this product
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1,120 reviews
  • AL
    Alexander L.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    2 days ago
    The best!

    I compared a lot of similar plugins and ultimately settled on the Ampex ATR-102. It offers a wide range of settings to suit any need, and I especially like the way it makes it sound as if you’re hearing tape “imperfections”—a slight hiss and sometimes even what sounds like background noise... but in reality, that’s exactly the vintage analog sound character we’ve strayed so far from—and it’s precisely that character that brings a recording to life. Analog, live recordings. A solid 5 stars for this plugin! Professional!

    Was this helpful?
  • TH
    Takashi H.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    4 days ago
    This is amazing.

    Amazing plugin, indeed.

    Was this helpful?
  • DZ
    Djamal Z.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 week ago
    Great plug

    All the features you need to sim a tape machine like it

    Was this helpful?
  • JS
    jairo s.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    3 weeks ago
    best tape plugin for jazz and acoustic music

    have tried several tape plugins and this is by the far the most versatile and convincing so far. it can be very subtle and give you just that little extra dimension and coloration you want of you can crank it up and be super creative and colorful. for jazz and acoustic music which is i mostly work on, it's a real treat! highly recommended!

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  • GD
    Gregg D.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 month ago
    Icing on your master

    I was using the Abbey Road J series tape emulation for finishing, but got a great deal from UA on this. I find this plugin to be easier to use with great presets that are descriptive and useful. This is going to save me some cash in Waves update fees!

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. These plug-ins run natively on your computer. No UA hardware is required.
Yes, 14-day plug-in demos are available. Find eligible plug‑ins
We provide three activations per license. We support activation on your computer or on an iLok USB key.
For every UAD plug-in that supports native and Apollo/UAD-2 versions, you get a license for both upon purchase, or the option to get it through an upgrade.
Native plug-ins are supported on macOS and Windows systems. See our Native UAD System Requirements article for full system requirements. An iLok account is required for managing your native plug-in licenses. We support iLok USB keys for portability, but one is not required.
Check our Knowledge Base for additional questions

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*Enhanced Retina graphics available for Mac only.